Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-03-21
4glonih5' Column
ONLY a LITTLE THING.

wonder ii many people really do il. II
would be Il great deal nicer world ii they
nd don see now L could do il very
we'll Sam Is always 50 cross anu dtSa-
sreeabla it wodIdn'C do bit OF good "a
Cr.y to be KIND TO MN. He wouldn even
notice it, and never think of being kind
to me, But Miss Hale talked about ON
being kind, no matter II any one was Kind
10 Us or not"
Ellen was walking home from Sunday
school muslng on what she had heard
Cnere. Sne was not very happy at home.
NJ one There seemed 10 care whether sue
| was or not, ana the Years OF her cnltd-
MOOD had been passing Without much
Thought OF it on uef own part. But she
| was getting less and less satisfied with
Ierseu as wen as WIN ner SURROUNDINGS,
and some OF the Things sine HAD lately
heard were leading her 60 think seriously
upon the poSSIOuILy OF her troubles BENZ
iudde any lighter.
WAIT minute" She turned at the
sound OF voices behind her anu saw Har-
~ Vane running To eaten up with ms
iICtIe sister.
Here, he said, breathlessly, holding
out 10 her Ills BlDIe, Sunuay-ScnooI BOOK.
anu a loose paper or two. lake THESE
home. Zen mother L IN gone down 10
the \. Nj. Z. A. rooms to see some pic
cures OF Jerusalem they've got there. |
Want you To carry my DookS.@
| but don see now L can, said Het-
| ty, ne hastily pied his things upon her
shall hands, already well hIIed Witn her
| own DOCKS.
80, you're clumsy.'' he exclaimed, i'm
patiently, as her Bible fell upon the
| pavement. Tell mother III soon be
| he with
60 see how she could get along with ali
| she mad to carry.
Ellen turned TO help Hetty, expecting
to hear d peCuIant complaint against Har-
ry as she picked up her nicely bound
| Bible and carefully wiped 1t with her
| handkerchief.
But Herty did not say anything except
| to remark THAT it was birthday present,
and she was trying to keep it very nice.
| Il IL help you carry your books" said
| Ellen. - think it was mean of Harry TO
treat you So"
80" said Hetty, with a smile, she
| didn't stop to think. Boys don't, you
know. But mother says the best way TO
make them think is to be forbearing with
| them, as Miss Hale said just now. And
she says" little Hetty's voice grew more
sober, THAT a sister can have great in
| duence over a brother by being kind to
MIN, and that we never know when such
an influence may be of great use when
they are older. She says a brother ought
to think his sister the dearest and sweet
est thing in the world, except, of course,
his mother Good-bye-thank you for
helping me- | can get along nicely now"
Ellen packed the books Oh Hetty's arm
SO that she could easily carry them, and
then went on by herself still thinking. 1t
was easy TO be obliging to Hetty, for Het-
ty was always SO pleasant herself. 1t was
a very different thing to try TO be kind to
peevish, disobiging Sam.
But surely it was not ''forbearing' to
be kind only TO those who were agreea-
able.
20 dear y sighed Ellen with tears very
near her eyes. Il wish my mother was
here. Things are SO much easier when
girls have a mother
Sam came home from school at noon
the next day and entered the dining-rOom
with the rough manner and the suiIen
look which had grown upon him until
they seemed to belong with him. Help
ing himself without regard to any one
else he was beginning an ample dinner
when his father arose hastily, looking
at his watch as he said:
Il have to take a run down to Hartley
on the I.30 train. | can barely make it,
and-here, Sam, l want you to hurry to
the post-otfice with this letter. 1t is i'm
pOrtant that it should catch the early at
ternOon mail. Quick, now!"
Cant l eat my dinner tirSt?" asked
Sam.
NO he said little impatiently, al
though not unkindly, ''hoys mustn't be
too anxious about their dinners. Be of
at once, and eat when you come back
Sam was very hungry, and looked rue
fully at his plate as he took the letter and |
hurried away, knowing that his fathers |
commands must be promptly obeyed. He |
felt sure that there would be little COM |
fort i'll his meal when he should return |
from the long walk. Susan, the girl, was |
always very busy and always rather cross /
on Monday. She would eat her own din
ner and then leave the table until she was |
done washing, and Sans dinner would be
cold and uninViting.
Ellen looked after him as he passed the
window. His face was, if possible. more
sour and peeyish than usual, and for a |
moment she felt as if he deserved any lit
tie annoyance which might come to him
But the words ''kindlv atfecti0ned"
came to her mind. How pleasant it |
would be if she and Sam were kind to
each other. She did not know whether
Sam could be kind-he was ALWAYS so
surly TO her. But had she been much bet
ter to him? She had always kept out of |
his way as much as possible, never show
ing him the little cares which sister can
show and which a motherless bow must
sadly miss,
With a thoughtful face she went back
to the table where his untasted dinner
lay Making few additions to it, she
carried 1t to the kitchen stove, where it |
would keep hot. And with everything
she did warmer feeling towards Sam
came into her heart.
Have you ever realized, boys and girls
how the delight of kind thought or ac-
ton grows upon you? TRY it and see A
host of tender feelings towards her broth
er seemed to spring up in Eilen's heart
with her trlhIng care for his comfort
She began to wish to do something else
Il IL make him a cup of chocolate" she
said to herself. Sans fond of choco-
late and he doesn't often get it,"
She brought some milk and set it on the
stove to heat, while she grated the chocO-
late. Susan grumbled a little about
things being i'll her way when she was so
busy. 1t was beginning to rain and she
would have trouble drying her clothes. so
she, like Sam, was a little crosser than
usual.
Il won't bother you long. Susan" said
Ellen ''Sam had to leave his dinner to
go on an errand, and l thought I'd have
it nice for him when he comes back
Susan turned and looked at her with an
well! = she exclaimed lin all the while
I've lived here it's the first blessed time
I've ever knowed one of you two to do
good turn to t'other.'
The blood rushed to Ellen's face as in
real shame and humiliation of spirit she /
felt how just was the girls blunt rebuke /
She made no answer, but stirred her choc- |
Olate until the foam on the top showed |
that 1T was properly cooked, then set it |
ont q nf 10
If Sam was coming.
She watched him with look of quick |
ened affection as he came near. The raw, |
windy morning had given promise of a |
storm which was now setting in, and the |
rain was beating against his face And |
she saw what she had never looked close |
enough to see before, that it was thin and |
pale. Could it be that Sam was not well |
and that no one had ever thought or cared |
about it? Perhaps it had something to do |
with his crossness. 1t was hard that he |
should have been Obliged to leave his din |